"We are totally opposed to the sale," said Joey Yang, a junior at Rice and program director of the station, which relies upon student and community volunteers for its eclectic music programming. "This is our radio station, and we'd like to keep it."

The deal calls for UH to buy the broadcast tower, FM frequency and license for $9.5 million, expanding its reach to two public radio stations.

It already operates KUHF, which offers news, classical music and other arts programming.

KUHF CEO John Proffitt said the present station, at 88.7 FM, will switch to an all-news format and the new station, to be named KUHC (91.7), will offer classical music and arts coverage. Both stations will be affiliated with National Public Radio.

Call for protests

Rice President David Leebron sent a letter to the campus community Tuesday explaining the decision. Acknowledging that the secrecy surrounding it was counter to academia's preferred openness, he wrote that the sale "required months of complicated and, by necessity, confidential negotiations."

Leebron suggested that money from the sale was an important motivation, noting the toll the recession has taken on Rice's budget.

"Our goal has been to focus on our core missions of teaching and research and, to the extent possible, to avoid layoffs," he wrote.

Leebron said proceeds from the sale will be used to improve campus life, including helping with the cost of a new food service facility. Students will be able to help decide how to use the rest.

KTRU launched a campaign against the sale Tuesday, urging supporters to flood Leebron and other administrators with "sincere and civil" protests.

Kelsey Yule, a Rice junior and KTRU station manager, said she had e-mailed Leebron and tried to call other administrators, to no avail as of late Tuesday.

"So many people are devastated that they won't be able to listen on their commutes or at work anymore," she said.

Wi-Fi access is widely available on campus, so students still will be able to tune in, she said. "But we really consider ourselves a cultural institution for the city."

Wi-Fi access is widely available on campus, so students still will be able to tune in, she said. "But we really consider ourselves a cultural institution for the city."

Linda Thrane, vice president for public affairs at Rice, said administrators will meet with students about the issue, although no date has been set.

"We want to hear their ideas about what we can do to make the internet station better," Thrane said.

She acknowledged that some students are upset about the proposed sale.

"KTRU is not going away," she insisted. "It's going to remain a student-managed operation. The students aren't losing anything."

Rice first broached selling the station about a year ago; UH was among the parties interested, but nothing came of it, Thrane said.

The search for a buyer began in earnest this spring.

Several members of the UH governing board said the move would be good for Houston, now one of the few large U.S. cities without separate public radio stations devoted exclusively to news and to classical music. UH would become one of a handful of universities operating two public radio stations.

No public funding

Not everyone was convinced, however.

"How does the University of Houston need two radio stations, and Rice doesn't need any?" UH regent Tilman Fertitta asked.

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